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Comment by giobox | Hacker News Reader

Not sure how widely available this feature is, but the unifi controller software for the popular Ubiquiti APs lets you bind individual client devices to specific APs such that they can only connect to the ones you choose.

I had to solve a similar issue for some crap IoT lights that would join the incorrect AP after a power cut every time.

> https://community.ui.com/questions/Lock-Client-to-Specific-A...

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This, of course, breaks clients that try to connect to the loudest RSSI when the loudest RSSI that they hear is not the one that is chosen.

Yet to encounter this side effect. So far every crappy wifi device I've tried has obliged.

Don't want to name drop, but this is unfortunately a real phenomenon.

for static clients that works well, though you can usually set a min rssi and get the same benefit without so much clicking.

That works for fixed devices like a TV, but also tends to shrink the effective coverage area of the wireless network as a whole.

That can mean that the portable wifi speaker-widget (which itself doesn't need much bandwidth) might go from working fine on the back deck or well-enough about anywhere else in the yard, to not working at all outside.

> That works for fixed devices like a TV, but also has the effect of shrinking the effective coverage area of the wireless network as a whole.

Which is normally a good thing to push the clients to roam to a better AP, OR you walked out of the building and want you phone to disconnect. But yes, does impact overall coverage area size.

That only works if there's a better AP to roam to. It's often very easy to add more APs indoors; but hanging them outside is a whole different animal.

Meanwhile: As a practical matter, shrinking coverage means "Hey, honey! I fixed the TV!" gets met with a response like "Oh, so that's why I can't listen to Audible on the veranda anymore!" :)

Experimentally probe: say you "fixed" something when you haven't touched anything and see what responses you get.

Obviously only if your honey is the type that enjoys being experimented upon (So long as it isn't mean, I like thoughtful attention like that, but some might not).

I dare to say that most people I've cohabitated with were not like you, and that this would have been a fine way to play things out if they were.

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